Lost and Found
by askillianwishes
Summary: My interpretation of Killian's journey to find Emma and bring her back to the Enchanted Forest, beginning before the end of 3x11. Will probably include journey back to Enchanted Forest and fighting the Wicked Witch eventually.
1. Foreward

"Charming, you can't seriously be suggesting we send a pirate back to her when she's our daughter?," Snow looks over at him in disbelief.

Charming shakes his head slightly at his wife, who seems to be the only person in the world who has yet to see the connection between Killian and their daughter. "Darling, he loves her. I think he is honestly the only one who could convince her of the truth. And there's no way for us to go. You're too pregnant and I won't leave you with the Wicked Witch chasing after us with all she's got."

Snow sighs resignedly and knows that what he says is true. It doesn't matter if she can't understand why her daughter would fall for a pirate; she has to admit that Emma cared for him. That was undoubtedly true after watching them say goodbye to each other at the Storybrooke town line.

And they had to get Emma back if the rumors were true- the Wicked Witch was close to finding a way to bring Cora and Pan to the Enchanted Forest. And that would be a force they could not reckon with. Regina was doing everything she could to defend them with the help of Blue and Tinkerbell, but they needed more strength. Blue was convinced that with Emma's magic, since it was the product of True Love, they would be able to stop the Wicked Witch in her tracks. But she and Charming knew they could only send one person after Emma and she would have no idea of her past.

Snow was shaken out of her thoughts as Charming moved over and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and tried to convince her, "You're going to have to learn to trust Killian. It's clear that Emma does and after everything we went through with him in Neverland, I do as well. Placing aside your doubts about him, who else could we send? We cannot go and we cannot afford to send Regina unless we wish to fall to the Wicked Wish. Bae is still searching with Belle for Rumplestiltskin in this realm since Blue thinks there is a chance she can save him."

Snow leaned her head on his hand resting on her shoulder and admitted that the pirate, or Killian as she was now supposed to call him, was the only option. She silenced her inner doubts and took a deep breath, "Alright, I see your point. Let's talk to Blue and find a way to send Killian after her."

oOoOoOo

Killian still couldn't believe that Snow and Charming trusted him enough to send him after Emma. While he had worked closely with them in Neverland, he had to admit to himself he hadn't been much help against the Wicked Witch. Living without his Swan had been much harder than he'd like to admit and he wasn't exactly in a fighting mood. He kept his word and thought of her every day-almost every minute and that had made him quite the irascible companion.

Once he reached month three, he managed to begin to be a productive member of the not-so-idyllic Enchanted Forest society, albeit with the constant ache of Swan's absence. But he realized if he ever did get her back, he wouldn't get any points for ignoring her friends or family. He realized immediately that he should never have spent so long worrying about himself as soon as he began to help the Charmings. Apparently there was a new big bag in the Enchanted Forest and while Snow and Charming had quietly managed it up to this point, things were beginning to spiral out of control.

Now it's been 11 months since they were taken back to the Enchanted Forest and affairs were approaching chaos. While the Evil Queen (he thought stubbornly even if he had to call her Regina in council) had somehow managed to fend the Wicked Witch off to date, it was becoming more difficult each time she found them. He knew something was brewing as Snow and Charming had canceled the morning council and Blue and Tinkerbell were off speaking in whispers, and he paced around impatiently. But then Blue and Tinkerbell went to speak with him and he was the next person called in. Killian took a moment to smile at the idea that they wanted him before some of their oldest friends.

In that room, Charming explained to him that Emma's magic was needed to save the realm. A shiver ran down Killian's spine at the fact that they were talking about needing her-he knew Charming would not bring her up unless there was a way to find her finally. While Killian was worried about how whoever they sent would convince her of this world, all over again, he was overjoyed at the idea that he could see his Swan again no matter how long it took. And then Charming told him they wanted Killian to cross back to the land without magic and find their daughter.

Somehow, Killian managed to keep his jaw from dropping to the floor. While he knew that he and Charming had been pretty good mates since trekking through Neverland, the Queen had been harder to impress. Despite his efforts, she still called him Hook and pirate with accusatory tones and seem to direct most of her negative moods at him, but he hoped those were more frequent due to her pregnancy. Something must have happened if he was being sent back, but Killian was never one to look a golden goose in the beak.

He did his best to contain his excitement as Blue explained how they would send him back and what he was supposed to do. He had to convince Emma of the truth of her past and bring her and Henry to the Enchanted Forest. Tinkerbell came up next and gave him a vial of a potion, which she explained contained the essence of True Love from Charming and Snow, which they believed would bring back her memories of her family and past.

Charming pulled him aside with a word of friendly advice. "Killian, I know you have feelings for Emma and I respect them. But I'm warning you, there are things True Love can't fix. I made the mistake of thinking I could save Snow after she lost her memories with her kiss and instead I was assaulted. Just be careful and wait until she remembers you, mate?" Killian heard just about the first sentence of that advice and couldn't believe that Charming supported his feelings for his daughter.

Snow then walked up to the two men and gave her sternest look to Killian. "Now you find her and you bring her back to us." Killian then braced himself for her threat. "There is no better person we could send in our stead and we know you will take the best care of our daughter and grandson," she said as she softened her face into her signature supportive smile. Killian felt relief rush through his entire being and hope in his mission, bolstered by the support of everyone around him, but knowing that his love for his Swan would be enough to make this possible. And with that thought in his head he nodded at Blue, who together with Tinkerbell sent Killian to Emma's world.


	2. And So It Begins

**A/N: Sorry for the lack of new posting. I have a family member in the hospital so it may be awhile before I can update, but I'm hoping to have the next chapter up before Saturday. It's my favorite so far and leads up to Killian trying True Love's Kiss on Emma!**

* * *

Emma looked at the clock on the wall of her office, which unfortunately said 4:45pm. She was so close to scooting out and starting her weekend with Henry, which was always the highlight of her week. But at least she loved her job. After giving birth to Henry, Emma loved to read to him to help him fall asleep. When it was finally time for her to return to work she had decided she wanted to work with children's books. She went back to school while Henry was in preschool and by the time he made it to Kindergarten she had a degree in publishing and then found a position with a small printing press in New York.

It had taken her time to rise to where she was now, but at this point she was reading books for consideration and part of the process of proofing final prints before publication. One of her favorite pieces she had seen over the years had just arrived on her desk with illustrations today. She decided to pick it up and take a sneak peek at is as she clocked away the last 15 minutes, since her boss was such a stickler for time.

She picked up the thick leather tome, a new version of classic fairy tales entitled "Once Upon A Time." She found these versions much more comforting than anything penned by the Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen, and had to hand it to give the authors credit for creating what felt like new versions of iconic stories. The authors, Adam and Eddy, had crept up out of nowhere and submitted the work with no other pieces under their belt. But it had warmed Emma's heart and she fought hard to get this one picked up by her company.

Emma opened the cover of the book and was stunned by the detail work that went into every page. The typography, borders, and illustrations fit perfectly with the feeling of the stories. She quickly flipped to her favorite section, when Prince Charming awakens Snow White and enjoyed the illustrations and the happy moment. Then she blissfully realized it was 5:02 and she could leave without worry of sneaking out early. She placed the book back on her desk and stood up, grabbing her red leather jacket and keys as she crossed through the office and out onto the street to go pick Henry up from school.

oOoOoOo

Emma took a deep breath of the crisp air and leaned back into the tree she was standing next to. She loved waiting outside the old brick school for Henry to leave, it made her proud to think about how she cared for her son after growing up with no one there to care for her. She knew she spoiled him rotten at times, but overall she felt like she had the parenting thing down, despite not having much of a lead to follow.

Kids began to pour out the double doors then and Emma stood straight, waiting to greet Henry as he came onto the street. Henry always knew where to find her after school since she always chose the same place, leaning leisurely against the third tree to the left. Just then he strolled out in his black coat with the red and grey scarf he had insisted she bought for him. It was oversized and she was trying to pick out a green scarf to match his hazel eyes, but he put his foot down insisting on that red and grey scarf.

Henry skipped over to where Emma was waiting for him. "Ready for the weekend, kid? If you get all your homework done tonight while I cook dinner I promise to take you ice skating tomorrow!" Emma had been forced to bribe him to finish the work early, otherwise she spent all of Sunday trying to convince her son to do his work so that they could enjoy the rest of their weekend, while he tried to put it off to the last minute.

Henry shook his head, knowing he was being played, but decided to give in because he'd been begging her for weeks to go ice skating. "Alright Mom. I'll do my work tonight as long as you promise to actually skate with me."

Henry knew she hated skating, but she figured that it was worth not losing an entire Sunday to pestering him to do his work. "Kid, you know how to strike a bargain. Now let's head home and begin the weekend." She draped her arm loosely over his shoulders and book bag and started walking down the block toward their apartment.

They spent the walk home discussing his week at school and what books she was working on in the office. Henry was excited to hear the illustrated "Once Upon A Time" had found its way to her desk because that meant it was close to a point when he could see the book. His mom had talked about it a lot when she read it for the first time and tried to remember them to tell him, but he wanted to see it for himself. They climbed the stairs to the third floor of their building and found their unit, 311, and entered it.

Henry clambered in, excited to have the weekend off and about the possibility of ice-skating tomorrow so he didn't even complain as he settled in at the table and opened his book bag. Emma smiled as she saw him nestle into a chair and open his math notebook while she hung her jacket in the closet and placed her keys on the hall table. She shuffled into the kitchen and started taking out the ingredients for homemade pizzas, their little Friday night tradition.

oOoOoOo

Henry jumped up from the table shouting, "I finished first!" Emma had challenged him to a race of who would finish their task first and the winner would get to choose the movie for the evening. She of course secretly wanted him to win, because she loved letting him put the toppings on the pizza with her.

He climbed over to the top of the stool and started adorning their whole-wheat pizza with onions and peppers. She smiled as she finished cooking the sausage on the stove and drained it over the sink. Then she scooped the sausages over the pizza and let Henry add an extra layer of cheese, since it was his favorite way to eat it. They slid the pizza stone into the oven and she set the timer as Henry raced over to the shelf to pick a movie.

Henry looked at his options for the evening. While he was always tempted to pick an action or adventure film, their shelves full of Marvel and fantasy or Sci-Fi inspired films and the occasional sappy romance for his mom, this evening he felt like the perfect start to the weekend required a certain amount of swashbuckling. Henry reached forward and grabbed "Pirates of the Carribbean" and turned to his mom with a smirk on his face. "How about we enjoy piracy _and_ True Love this evening?" Emma scoffed at the idea that Will and Elizabeth shared "True Love" but knew she had little control over the choice since Henry had won fair and square.

"Sounds great, kid. But just because it's Friday doesn't mean we get to break _all_ the rules. Now let's clean these dishes while the pizza bakes. When it's ready we can settle in for the adventure on the open sea." Henry grumpily sauntered back over to the kitchen and grabbed a dishtowel, standing to the right of Emma so he could dry each dish as she cleaned them.

oOoOoOo

Emma smiled as the credits began to roll at the end of the movie. Henry had tuckered out not far past the halfway point, but she'd let him snuggle in against her side and lay there undisturbed. She had enjoyed the movie and always loved the undeniable charm of Captain Jack with his innuendo and debonair demeanor.

She stretched softly, not wanting to disturb Henry as she debated the merits of waking him up versus carrying him to his room. While the hygienist in her wanted to wake him and make him brush his teeth, the loving mother just wanted to let him rest and continue to dream. Her loving mother side won out as she looked down at his peaceful face and stood up to lift him in her arms.

"Wow kid," she whispered, "You really have managed to grow so much in these few years. Pretty soon I won't be able to lift you at all." Henry shuffled slightly in his sleepy state, but Emma knew it took more than a whisper to wrestle this one from sleep.

She pushed open the door to his room, decorated with a hodgepodge of items. Henry had always been fascinated with stories and his room had pieces of them all. His favorite pieces were a painting of a beautiful apple, free of poison, and a figurine of a noble horse. He had always dreamed of being a hero.

Emma placed his body down on the bed, then reached underneath him to grab the comforter and put it on top of his resting form. She tucked him in lightly and brushed the hair from his face, leaving a light kiss on his forehead and a silent wish for sweet dreams. She sidled out of his room and shut his door.

Emma crossed the hallway to her room and slipped into her comfy pajamas and slippers. Then she carefully passed into the kitchen to tidy up the last of their mess. She opened the cupboard and took down a bottle of red, pouring herself a glass to help herself with the task.

As she took the first sip, she crossed into the living room to put the movie away and clean up her dishes. Emma started to think of their day tomorrow and how much fun they were going to have, although she had to admit to herself she was dreading the ice-skating adventure. She resolved to call Andrew and have him join them tomorrow. Andrew was an old friend and like a father to Henry. There had never been any romantic feelings between them, in fact they met because Andrew had been assigned to her case when she was let out of prison and started her life with Henry.

Andrew was the most caring and helpful person, and Emma doesn't know if she'd be where she was today without such a guardian angel of a parole officer. Henry was oblivious that they had met as a result of Emma's time in jail, but he always loved it when he got to spend time with his "Uncle Andy." Emma grabbed her phone from her back pocket and shot him a quick text, asking if he had time to hang out with them tomorrow afternoon. Then she picked up the last of the dishes and headed to the kitchen sink.

Her phone buzzed and she glanced at it as the warm, soapy water filled the left sink basin. Andrew had replied in the affirmative and just asked where to meet them. Emma answered 3pm at the ice skating rink near Central Park and thanked him. She felt like she might get out of putting those treacherous skates on if Henry could take his uncle out on the ice.

She took another sip of wine, thinking back on the time that had passed since she had met Andrew. New York was not an easy place to start out as a single mother, but she found she had fallen in love with its charm. And Andrew had always been there to help them through their toughest time. It was even him who had helped her find a school to studying publishing when she decided that was where she wanted to work.

But Emma liked to think it was her own strength and her undying love for Henry that pushed her to be the best she could be for her son. She fought tooth and nail to get the best jobs and opportunities so that she could provide for her son. And now they lived comfortably in New York, with Henry at one of the best schools in the city and her at what could only be described as her dream job.

There was only one thing she wanted for in her life, but Emma had never really felt that connection with another man. Even if she didn't mind looking at some of them, they never seemed to be good enough for Henry and she wouldn't consider starting a relationship that would not be good for her son. Emma finished her wine with a gulp, grimacing slightly at the thought she may never find someone, and washed her glass to finish the dishes. She sighed at herself, still pining for love when she had Henry and a life that others would envy, but she still couldn't help the nagging feeling that she was forgetting something.

Emma slipped back into her bedroom and prepared for bed, washing her face and brushing her teeth. She pulled her hair back into a soft braid as she slipped under the covers, leaning back as she placed a hair tie on the end of the braid. She was determined to focus on the positive and couldn't wait to spend her Saturday with Henry and have a chance to see Andrew again; it had been far too long.

oOoOoOo

Killian felt alone in this world. It was odd to travel here after spending so much time with Charming and Snow, but he knew he must find Emma. And he was beyond elated to have the chance to see her again. As hard as he strived to remember every detail over the past year, certain things had faded. The exact shade of her golden blonde curls and the way her eyes twinkled when he really looked at her with his love for her in his eyes. But he knew if he found her, he could have all that and more.

Regina had told him the memories she had created for Emma. As long as she hadn't moved in the last year, she should be in New York with Henry and he looked at the crumpled up piece of parchment the Evil Queen had handed him. He did have to admit his hatred for Regina declined as she had left them with happy memories, even if they did have to be false.

Killian had come out of the portal near where Storybrooke had once been in existence. It had taken him time to find civilization nearby but now he was headed to the City that Never Sleeps. But he would try to get some sleep on the bus, knowing that by mid-morning he'd be at his Swan's door.


End file.
